


way more than fine

by mvrcredi



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Aged-Up Losers Club (IT), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, School Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24712828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvrcredi/pseuds/mvrcredi
Summary: It's the Losers' ten-year high school reunion, and Eddie hasn't seen Richie since the summer he moved away after their graduation.He missed his first window of opportunity to confess his feelings - maybe this would be his second chance.-It wasn’t that Eddie particularly dreaded going to his high school reunion, except, well—he did.
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris
Comments: 1
Kudos: 56





	way more than fine

**Author's Note:**

> note: bev moved away after sophomore year. just for some minor context.

It wasn’t that Eddie particularly _dreaded_ going to his high school reunion, except, well—he _did._

While his high school experience wasn’t nearly as miserable as his middle school experience—being that Bowers and his gang had become lesser threats—it was more the fact of who he might encounter that set his nerves alight. 

Eddie had stayed in touch with most of the Losers, having the majority of them graduating by his side, and returning home from college the following two summers, but then that had been it for close contact and gatherings. He hadn’t physically seen any of them again for those eight years after that, wanting to be as far away from his mother for the rest of his life, the rest of the Losers spreading themselves around the country respectively. Then, after a bit of time, everyone stopped with the constant texting, calling—they lost contact and started their own new lives, as adults should.

Now, it would have been just as easy for Eddie to have simply _not come_ to this reunion, but the same person that made him anxious about being present, was the one person he had been wishing he’d be able to see again since the summer after they had graduated, when he and his parents had packed up and moved away across the country. 

_Richie Tozier._ A name Eddie hadn’t heard in a long time, nor had the chance to put a face to in quite a while. They had not maintained contact after Richie had moved, and for reasons Eddie couldn’t list. They just… didn’t. 

Eddie sits nervously in his car, watching as people reunite at the entrance to the school, before heading inside in groups. Everyone _seemed_ happy. Eddie was happy. Richie had been Eddie’s best friend—why was he so nervous at the prospect of seeing him again? It didn’t make any sense.

After a couple of breathing exercises and an attempt at self-reassurance, Eddie eventually steps out of the car, grateful for the fresh air. He’s only just reached the front stairs when he hears an astounded, “Edward Frank Kaspbrak, is that you?” He spins around and immediately recognizes who it is.

“Bevvie? You asshole, no need to use my full name. What are you doing here? How are you?” He grins, dropping down a few steps to meet her. She engulfs him in a hug and kisses him on the cheek before fully stepping back.

“I’m good, Eddie. Hubby invited me,” Bev replies, smiling. “You look great. How’ve _you_ been?”

Eddie shrugs a shoulder. “Here and there. Have you seen anyone else so far?”

At this question, Beverly’s face lights up with excitement, though it also seems like she has a secret she wants to tell him. She glances over her shoulder then looks back at Eddie. “As a matter of face, I have! Benjamin!” She calls over her shoulder.

The man who approaches is tall and muscular, but if anything he emits an air of warmth and kindness, and— _wait, did she just say Benjamin?_

Eddie’s eyes widen. “Holy _shit!_ Ben! You got hot!”

Ben laughs shyly in response, which, really, is a purely Ben reaction. Before he can say anything, though, Bev cuts in, saying, “Way to go, idiot. The night’s barely begun and you’ve already embarrassed my husband!”

Eddie rolls his eyes and swats at her arm. “Ben is easily embarrassed, I don’t think—“ Then, he pauses in realization. “Husband? _He’s_ the “hubby”? Fuck, Bevvie, we’re not gonna make it off these steps if you wanna keep dropping these things on me. You finally got your shit together, then?”

Beverly is positively beaming. “We did. We ran into each other about two years after we’d graduated from college, and it just kind of happened from there,” she explains, then quickly peering over Eddie’s shoulders, then back towards the parking lot. “Wish I could say the same about you and Richie, though. Unless…?”

Eddie shakes his head, thankful for the shitty lighting, or Beverly might see his blush. “He moved the summer right after senior year. Haven’t seen him since.” He shrugs. 

“That sucks. Maybe he’s here tonight,” Bev suggests, wiggling her eyebrows. Eddie snorts.

Ben looks to her fondly, pressing a hand to the small of her back. “Why don’t we head inside and see? You all know I love a good romance story.”

And while Eddie is glad to see that Ben had gained some confidence in himself and his interests, he was also annoyed by the fact that both he and Beverly were treating this like some romantic reunion story. For all he knew, Richie either wasn’t showing up, or he may not even recognize Eddie if the latter does spot how he thinks is the former. The night could go several ways, and Eddie did _not_ want his hopes up, even if the idea sounded king of nice to his single, lonely ears. Hell, Richie could already be with someone.

Ben crowds them inside the school, to where more former students mill about, the feeling incredibly strange and overwhelming. Seeing everyone he graduated with all grown up was… _bizarre,_ to say the very least. Everyone attending had their own separate, adult lives; high school being the farthest thing from their minds up until that night.

They end up bumping into Bill, the now successful author (in which Eddie and Beverly both reamed him for his shit endings), Stanley The Accountant and his wife, Patty, and Mike—who’d become well-traveled, after finally leaving Derry to become a part-time historian and travel-blogger. 

Together, the former (now reunited, Eddie supposed) Losers club flocks towards the gymnasium, where the now-retired principal was to give a speech, alongside their graduating class’s valedictorian—which, now that Eddie thought about it, was actually Richie. _Dear Lord._

The gymnasium is packed with well-dressed adults, no longer awkwardly filling the space with disproportionate limbs and acne-speckled faces. 

All chatter ceases as the horrid ring of a cheap mic setup sounds out through the gym. Eddie’s gaze moves to the stage where the retiree-principal walks up to the stand. He delivers some nonsensical speech about unity, and growing up, and whatnot, before he announces the valedictorian to be taking the stage. Eddie’s hands become sweaty.

Eddie tunes out the rest of the speech until on stage walks Richie Tozier, valedictorian. 

While he still remains as tall and skinny as he had in high school, maybe even tall- _er,_ he held his boyish charm in a new way, his fashion sense was updated but still not quite great, he had ditched the glasses, and now styled his wild curls. Eddie hated to say it, but Richie had just gotten _more_ attractive, and that seemed unfair. He wasn’t sure why, but it was.

Richie’s speech goes in through one ear and out the other—Eddie is certain it’s just a regurgitated version of the one he gave during their graduation ceremony—and before he had the proper chance to admire how his voice had matured, the speech was over and the chatter continued.

“Eddie? You good?” Beverly nudges him, and though her tone is concerned, there’s a knowing smile on her face. 

“He looks _good,_ Beverly,” Eddie squeaks. “Holy fuck.”

Stan snorts. “You’re twenty-seven, Eddie. Not seventeen. Go find him, dumbass. We’ll all still be here when you’re done confessing your feelings.”

Patty, having already gained a too-good understanding of the group dynamic in the small amount of time everyone had chatted, smacks her husband upside the head, to which everyone laughs. “Don’t be an asshole, sweetheart. I think it’s cute. Go get ‘em, Tiger,” she winks, as Beverly gently urges him into the crowd.

Eddie isn’t certain where he’s supposed to be going so he just walks around aimlessly, shouldering his way around the gym just to appease his friends. He’d just circle, return to them, and make up some excuse. Richie had left, he was already with someone. Something along those lines.

This plan proves to be easier said than done, however, when he finds the crowd to be packed much tighter than he had anticipated, getting shoved around more than he was doing the shoving. One would think living in New York for several years would teach him different, but apparently not. Well, that and his naturally aggressive tendencies. 

As his head is faced the opposite way as his body, contemplating yelling at someone for not moving, he walks right into someone else, and nearly falls backwards onto his ass. 

The person reaches out and catches his arm to help him stabilize. 

“Woah there, pal. Are you—“ he starts, and he’s all smiles and humour and _Richie._ Richie furrows his brows in a flash of recognition. “Eddie?”

Eddie blinks, and he goes breathless seeing Richie up close and personal for the first time in ten years. “Richie.”

Without warning, Richie takes Eddie in his arms for a tight hug, and it’s awkward at first because the height difference that never went away, but after some time, it just feels… familiar.

“I missed you, Eds.”

“That’s not my name,” Eddie grumbles, and it’s just like they never spent a decade apart. The two eventually separate, though Eddie senses they’re both equally as reluctant to do so. “How are you, asshole? Still tall as-fucking-ever, I see.”

“And still my cute, little short stack _you’ve_ remained,” Richie shoots back, the use of the word _cute_ causing Eddie’s face to feel warm, and likely blossom red as well. He kicks himself internally. _Like Stan said, you’re twenty-seven, not seventeen._

Eddie tilts his head. “Remind me how old you are again?”

Richie barks out a laugh. “You know I’m just teasing, Spaghetti. You look… good. Really. All spiffy-like.”

Eddie’s lips twitch upwards, a smile creeping its way onto his face. “Thanks. You—you too, Rich. Though I think you could definitely work on your fashion sense. It’s disgusting. Absolutely horrid. A true eyesore.”

Richie feigns hurt, a hand flying up to his chest, just over his heart. “Enough with the insults, Eds. You might hurt my ego.”

“Good. It’ll knock you down a few pegs,” Eddie grins, and Richie is all smiles along with him. Eddie takes a deep breath before suggesting, “Wanna take this outside? I’m feeling a bit… claustrophobic.”

Something in Richie’s eyes soften. “Sure, Spaghetti. I’d love to.”

They walk shoulder-to-shoulder out of the gymnasium, and Eddie opts to ignore the wolf-whistles coming from the Losers. Eddie swears Richie’s hand brushes against his on a few occasions, but Eddie would not be surprised if it were just his imagination.

The air outside had gotten cooler since earlier in the night, a gentle breeze creating gooseflesh on the exposed parts of Eddie’s arms, where he had pushed up his sleeves. The bright moonlight makes Richie appear paler than ever. 

“Better?” Is the first thing Richie says since they had left the school. Eddie wordlessly nods. 

“Hey, I— _mmph!”_

It seems random, unplanned to Eddie at first, but as the kiss deepens and they meld together, built-up emotions from years of pining and time apart are making themselves well-known, he knows it’s not.

After what seems like an eternity—a pleasant one, at that—they detach, just ever-so-slightly out of breath. 

Richie quietly laughs to himself. “I’m sorry, I—I’ve just been wanting to do that since we were sixteen. Just… I never really got the chance, I guess. I hope that’s—“

Eddie dips in for another kiss, though this time plenty more hasty. “It’s fine by me, ‘Chee.” 

Richie waggles his eyebrows, but despite the immaturity of his actions, his tone is a lot softer, more uncertain. “Way more than fine?”

Eddie snickers. “Yes, Richie. Way more than fine.”

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact! this is the second high school reunion fic i've written except for a different fandom! we love totally unique ideas!
> 
> i haven't been posting often and i feel bad but i'm working on an 11k+ word fic, which is the longest i've ever written, so i'm hoping to get that out sometime soon.
> 
> anyways! i hope you enjoyed! every comment + kudos is greatly appreciated! <3


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